Repeating firearm.



G. S. LEWIS. REPBATING FIREARM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1909.

2 sums-ennui.

Patented Sept. 28, 1909.

In ventor G. S. LEWIS. REPEATING FIREARM.

APPLICATION IILED' MAY 1, 1909.

Patehted Sept. 28, 1909.

E'SEEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor Jim Attest:

' Attys.

GEORGE S. LEWIS, OF CHICOPEE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 J.STEVENS ARMS &, TOOL COMPANY, OF CI-II COPEE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, ACORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

REPEATING- FIREARM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 28, 1909.

Application filed May 1, 1909. Serial No. 493,266.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicopee Falls, in the State of Massachusetts, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Repeating Firearms, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates generally to repeating firearms of the type ofthat shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 852,241, datedApril 30, 1907, in which the breech block is moved backward and forwardto-extract the empty shell, cockthe hammer and insert a fresh cartridgein the chamber of the barrel, through connection with a grip piece whichslides longitudinally with respect to the barrel, and while somefeatures of the invention are more or less directly concerned withfeatures of construction shown and described in said Letters Patent andall of the features of the invention have been designed and areexplained herein with reference to their use in such a firearm as thatshown and described insaid Letters Patent, nevertheless some of thefeatures of the present invention are capable of use with other featuresof construction than those shown and described in said Letters Patent.

One object of the invention is to improve the structure of the breechlocking devices shown in said Letters Patent with a view of enablingsuch devices to better withstand the "repeated shocks of discharge andto be more readily accessible for examination, cleaning and repair.

Another object is to provide an improved connection between the coiledmain spring and the hammer so as to permit the hammer to be properlyengaged by the hammer lock hereinafter referred to and to preventlateral displacement of such spring and its stem with respect to thehammer; and a further object is to improve the construction of thecartridge feeding and extracting devices in a firearm such as is shownin said Letters Patent.

The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which it is'illustrated and in which Figure1 is a view in side elevation of a repeating rifle which embodies theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a detail view, on a larger scale, partly in side elevation andpartly in longitudinal section, of so much of the rifle shown in Fig. 1as is necessary to enable the application of the invention thereto to beunderstood. Fig. 3 is a detail view in section, on the plane indicatedby the line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig.4: is a detail View, in perspective, showing a portion of the grip slideand the breech latch. Fig. 5 is a detail view, in perspective, showingthe rear portion of the magazine tube, the breech block and thecartridge feeding and extracting devices. Fig. 6 is a detail view of thesame in longitudinal section. Fig. 7 is a detail view, in perspective,of one of the extractors. Fig; 8 is partly a top view and partly ahorizontal section on the plane indicated by the line S% of the partsshown in Fig. 6. view, in perspective, of the main spring plungerbracket and wire or stem.

For convenience and to enable the present improvements to be morereadily understood, the same reference characters will be employedherein, as far as possible, as are employed in the specification of saidLetters Patent to indicate like parts.

The frame 1, provided with the usual tangs 2 for attachment of the stock3, has a socket 4 to receive the shouldered end of the barrel 5, whichis held in place by the screw 6. In the frame are pivoted, as usual, thespring actuated hammer T and trigger S.

The breech block 9, arranged to slide in the frame 1, is formed with orsecured to the magazine tube 10, which slides in guides 1O on theunderside of the barrel The breech block is slotted vertically, as at141, and has pivoted in such slot a lifter 15, the rear lug 16 of whichcooperates with the hammer 7 to cook the same and to throw the forwardend of the lifter up to eject the empty shell and place the freshcartridge in position in line with the chamber of the barrel, in therearward movement of the breech block, and with the abutment 17, in theforward movement of the breech block, to throw the forward end of thelifter down into position to receive a fresh cartridge from themagazine. The firing pin 18 is located in the breech block, as usual,and cooperates with the projection 19 on the upper surface of thelifter, near its rear end.

All of the parts thus far referred to are Fig. 9 is a detail scribed.

constructed and operate substantially as shown and described in saidLetters Patent, and further explanation thereof is not necessary.

The grip piece 21, having a limited range of movement with respect tothe magazine tube 10, is, by such limited relative move ment, connectedwith the magazine tube and breech block to unlock the breech block andto effect the rearward and forward movement thereof and is disconnectedth erefrom,at the end of the forward movement, to lock the breech blockin firing position. The means by which the grip piece is connected withthe breech block operate in a manner generally similar to that of thecorresponding parts of the structure shown and described in said LettersPatent, but they have been modified for the purpose of securing amplestrength to withstand successive discharges of the firearm as well as tolocate them where they are the more readily observable and accessible.As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the grip piece 21 has connected thereto aslide 22' which is formed near its rear end with a cam slot 23 and atits rear end with an overhanging lip 24. for cooperation with a safetylocking lever 30 which forms no part of the present invention and neednot be further de- A sleeve 25 on the magazine tube has in its undersidea seat 26 for the end of a latch 27 which swings in a horizontal planeand has on its under side, at its rear end, a lug 28 which cooperateswith the cam slot 23 in the slide 22. At the last of the forwardmovement of the grip piece the cam slot 23 acts upon the lug 28 to swingthe latch outward so that the lug shall stand in front of the frame 1and thereby lock the breech block which is connected with the latch 27through the magazine tube 10 and the sleeve 26, in firing position. Theslide 22 is normally locked in. its forward position by the lockinglever 30, but when it is released by the locking lever it is then freeto be moved rearwardly and in the first of such movement, which is withrespect to the magazine tube and breech block, the cam slot 23 acts uponthe lu 28 to draw it, with the latch, inwardly from in front of theframe, at the same time coupling the magazine tube and breech block,through the latch, to the slide 22 and grip piece, so that in thefurther rearward movement of the grip piece the breech block is carriedrearwardly with it. It will be observed that through the location of thelatch 27 it can have such length that the thrust on the latch and theadjacent parts is but slightly out of the line of movement of the parts,so that the liability to breakage is reduced and the latch and itsadjacent parts, including the lug, can also have such thickness of metalas to have ample strength. h'loreover the latch and the cam slot in theslide are exposed to view when the slide is in its forward position soways to examine their condition and to re move any particles of dirtthat might get into the slot, while the shoulder on the frame againstwhich the latch bears is external to the frame and receives the thrustthrough the body of the latch as well as through the lug on the latch.

The locking lever 30, above referred to, cooperates with the shoulderson the hammer 7, formed by milling out the side of the hammer. The wholeof the rear face of the hammer, therefore, is not as available, as wouldotherwise be the case, as a bearing for the rod l0 which supports thecoiled main spring 41 which, in the construction shown, is employed. Tosecure a proper bearing for the spring and to keep the spring well backof the hammer, so that it shall not interfere with the rear end of thelocking lever 30, as well as to prevent the lateral displacement of thespring with respect to the hammer, the rod 40 has secured thereto abacket 4-2, which is offset from the line of the rod 40, as clearlyshown in Figs. 3 and 9, and has on that it is possible al its inner facea flanged stud 43 which engages a T-slot H milled in the left hand sideof the hammer. Through the bracket and stud the thrust of the spring isexerted practically in line with the hammer centrally while the spring,acting against the rear end of the bracket as an abutment, can beterminated sufliciently in rear of the hammer to prevent interferencewith the rear end of the lever 30, and the flanged or headed stud,engaging the T-slot in the hammer, prevents lateral displacement. Therear end of the rod 40 slides in a shoe 45 which bears against a screw46 secured in the frame.

The breech block 9, as already stated, is formed with or secured to therearend of the magazine tube 10, which is slotted, forward of the breechblock to permit the fresh cartridge to be raised through it by thelifter 15. The face of the breech block 9 is formed with flanges 9 whichare extended for a short distance above the magazine tube but not intoline with the chamber of the barrel. These flanges 9" do not hold thehead of the cartridge snugly against the face of the breech block, sincesuch holding of the cartridge otherwise provided for, and fit the headof the cartridge but loosely, their function being merely to guide thecartridge in its upward movement on the lifter. Above the flanges 9 thebreech block is provided with two oppositely acting pivoted extractors50, the tails of which are pressed outwardly by a common spring 51 whichis placed loosely in a transverse recess 52 in the breech block. Theedges 54 of the flanges 53 of the extractors are inclined backwardtoward the face of the breech block and, biting into the body of thecartridge, draw the head of the same flat against the face of the breechblock. Theemployment of a common spring, acting upon both extractors,gives equal tension to both and insures proper lining up of thecartridge with respect to the chamber of the barrel without requiringgreat accuracy in the machining of the parts, while also insuring equalfriction on both sides of the cartridge so that its proper movement isassured.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a repeating firearm, the combination with a frame, a barrel, alongitudinally movable breech block and grip-piece and a magazine tube,of a slide secured to the grip piece under the barrel and having a camslot and a latch pivoted upon the under side of the magazine tubeforward of the frame and having a lug to cooperate with the cam slot inthe slide and adapted to bear at its end against the forward end of theframe.

2. In a firearm, the combination with a frame, a hammer, a spiral mainspring and spring supporting rod, of a bracket secured to the mainspring wire or stem and offset and having a stud on its inner face toengage the hammer.

3. In a firearm, the combination with a frame, a hammer, a spiral mainspring and spring supporting rod, of a bracket secured to the mainspring wire or stem and offset and having a stud on its inner face toengage the hammer, the hammer having in its side a T-slot and the studon the bracket bleing T-headed or flanged to engage said s ot.

4. In a repeating firearm, the combination of a frame, a barrel and amagazine tube, of a longitudinally movable breech block having fixedflanges below the barrel, oppositely acting extractors pivoted in thebreech block and a common spring located in a chamber in the breechblock and acting upon the tails of both of the extractors.

5. In a repeating firearm, the combination of a frame, a barrel and amagazine tube, of a longitudinally movable breech'block having fixedflanges below the barrel, oppositely v acting extractors pivoted in thebreech block and a common spring located in a chamber in the breechblock and acting upon the tails of both of the extractors, the flangeson the breech block fitting loosely the head of the cartridge and theedges of the flanges of the extractors being inclined toward the face ofthe breech block and drawing the head of the cartridge flat against thesame.

This specification signed and witnessed this 27th day of April, A. 1).,1909.

GEO. S. LEIVIS. Signed in the presence of E. C. FINK, W. S. PAGE.

